Book picks similar to
Don't Even Go There by Brenda Hampton


brenda-hampton
african-american-fiction
urban-fiction
adult

The House That Hustle Built


Nisa Santiago - 2015
    Pearla is a born hustler, and Cash was born to steal. Pearla sets her sights on Cash and motivates him to take his petty crimes to the next level.Together, the two get money throughout the tri-state, while friends and family want to be upgraded without putting in work. At first, the couple makes it rain in the hood, taking care of those they love, but a hustler always knows when to draw the line.Suddenly, Pearla proclaims the ATM closed, and a quiet storm begins to brew. When the beggars can't beg anymore and the borrowers can't borrow anymore, friends become enemies. Words and bullets are exchanged, leaving The House that Hustle Built under attack and at risk of collapse.

Bruised - PT 1


Azárel - 2005
    She is a nice girl with an attraction to the wrong types of men. No one seems to understand why she would get involved with a notorious criminal. After settling into a dangerous relationship with Devon, her life takes a drastic change for the worse. Caught between his material gifts and controlling behavior she searches for a way out. The battle to save Carlie from Devon's grip puts the lives of many people in jeopardy. By the time she realizes that force is needed when going up against Devon, it is too late. Carlie's fight to stay alive will keep you on edge. Will she give in? Or die trying?

Shoulda Woulda Coulda


La Jill Hunt - 2005
    She cannot forgive him for breaking her heart, but can she really learn to let go? More importantly, will he allow her go?

The Last Chance


Darrien Lee - 2007
    From Essence] bestselling author Lee comes a riveting new novel about a LosAngeles casino-owning family determined to protect its dynasty.

Reckless


Keisha Ervin - 2012
    In return, he's lied, cheated, and disregarded her feelings. Despite the disapproval of her family and friends, Farrah has stayed true to this self-destructive, irresponsible alcoholic. But as her career as a celebrity stylist begins to skyrocket, Khalil's is faltering, and he uses this as an excuse to treat her even worse. Farrah finally faces the fact that Khalil will never change.

Dice


T.N. Baker - 2007
    Rollin' dice is an everyday hustle for Wasuan, and he's one of the best the hood has ever seen. No one can defeat him. That is, until he stumbles across a dude from the same hood named Tone who has just as much confidence, a little too much mouth, lots of cash to back it up, and a strong desire for Wasuan's girl. When Wasuan is challenged and the stakes grow high, he finds himself caught out in deeper waters than he can swim in, with Tone dangling three options: pay up, take your last breath, or sacrifice something much greater...his girl, Enychi. But when Enychi agrees to spend one night with Tone in order to save her man's life, she finds herself caught up in an unwilling love triangle like the streets have never known. Love, betrayal, lies, sex and money are just the beginning in this scandalous tale, where loyalties are put to the ultimate test. In this new novel, T. N. Baker takes the term "sheisty" to a whole new level.

Pipe Dream (Strivers Row)


Solomon Jones - 2001
    Black drew hard, squinting as the smoke rushed into his lungs."Where do you want to start?"the lawyer said, lighting a cigarette of his own."I guess there’s only one place to start; at Broad and Erie."Johnny Podres, a politician whose record against corruption had been propelling him straight to the mayor’s office, is found murdered in a North Philly crack house.Enter Samuel Jackson, a.k.a. Black, a drug addict who knows better, a man embittered by the fact that he can’t seem to escape from his addiction to crack cocaine or, for that matter, from himself. Though he was once a family man with a wife and son, Black’s only concern these days is getting his next high, that is, until he stumbles across a friend and fellow addict, Leroy, and both become prime suspects in the Podres murder. Black and Leroy hook up with two female pipers: Clarisse, a registered nurse who is slowly losing to crack any semblance of a respectable life, and Pookie, who already has lost it. Soon the hunt is on for all four as they try to stay one step ahead of a police department under tremendous pressure to solve the case—because if a killer isn’t found soon, this could blow up into one of the biggest scandals in Philadelphia history. Solomon Jones weaves a suspenseful story against the backdrop of corruption in the Philadelphia police department and centers it on a group of drug addicts who, in the process of fleeing the law, come to terms with their own addiction, leading to some devastating consequences.

Diamond Life


Sheila Copeland - 2003
    Comprised of three beautiful ladies, the sexy all-girl group So Fine has got it all — voice, magnetism, great songs — and drive. There's just one thing missing — and Nina can supply it.Jamil is not only Nina's ex-boyfriend — he's a mega-hit producer with a hot new label: Suicide Records. Nina is sure she can get Jamil to sign So Fine. She's always been able to count on him — though lately, he's been acting a little strange. Maybe it's because he's still got a thing for Nina, even though she's married now. Or maybe it's the influence of his new partner-in-crime, Xtreme, baseball's first bad boy and Suicide's first artist. Whatever it is, Nina has laid a big chunk of her own personal funds on the line, and there's no turning back now.But soon, everything seems to spiral out of control. Egos clash, hearts — and promises — are broken.

Exposed:: When Good Wives Go Bad


Anna J. - 2013
    When the other 20 percent is too tempting to turn down, do you decide to go with your family life, or do you take advantage of a once in a lifetime opportunity? Simone, Te'Nae and Shay are picture perfect wives and career women. All three juggle prestigious jobs, motherhood and wifely duties with ease, but they share a dark secret that, if exposed, could ruin everything they've worked hard to maintain. They only get one chance to decide if their marriages are worth more than the risks they take.

My Love Is Under Arrest


Charae Lewis - 2017
    She was wishing that she could become his remedy. What happens when love is present, but it’s only one-sided? Diar Capers had to learn that love is never easy, especially when it comes to Case DeMao. He possesses all of the characteristics that she yearns for in a man but finds it difficult attaining his attention. She desperately wants to throw in the towel and move forward, but the hold that’s on her heart permits her from doing so. Will Diar's efforts towards her love affair with Case pay off, or will she be left distraught when she finds out that she is not the missing piece to his heart?

A Thug's Love 3


Jessica N. Watkins - 2016
    Who knew that he had been keeping such a secret from me? Just my luck, as I hid from him to gather my thoughts and deal with the pain, yet another crushing blow to my happiness was revealed. I then realized that I could no longer live for King; it was time to live for Kennedy. Little did I know, Jada was suffering the same heartbreak that I was. Dolla had torn her heart into two. My girl was miserable, but she didn’t run as I did; she was trying her best to inflict the same pain on Dolla as he had on her. Meanwhile, King, Meech and Dolla were constructing a plan to permanently get rid of the squad’s enemies. But will it work? Will the squad make it through this storm of deception and lies to continue ruling the streets of Chi? Some secrets should never be kept and some secrets should never be told because, either way, we were all about to suffer the consequences of secrets both revealed and untold.

Finding A Loyal Love


A'zayler - 2015
    It’s been a jagged and tiring road with her longtime boyfriend Smoke. In the beginning she thought maybe he had been the one for her, but now she’s not so sure. From dealing with baby mama drama to random females on the side, Lay-Lay has had enough. Not only has she grown tired of Smoke’s cheating ways, but she’s finally ready to move on. In the back of her mind she knows she deserves better, but letting go is entirely too hard. Although Smoke’s reckless behavior plays a major role in Lay-Lay’s decision to move on, that isn’t the only reason why she’s ready to call it quits. Kyle Taylor, is and has been the most constant male figure in her life for as long as she can remember. When thinking of her fairytale ending her is who she would see as her knight in shining amour. The only problem with this is, he has a girlfriend. Fed up with the constant fussing and fighting, Lay-Lay isn’t sure whether or not Kyle is worth leaving behind the love and history she has with Smoke. Torn between the man she loves and the man she deserves, Lay-Lay is forced to make a decision.

Rozalyn 3


Shan - 2012
    After Tamar damn near killed Rozalyn a little over a year ago; the couple decided to cut their losses and move on. Rozalyn does her best to become a better, independent woman being she no longer has Tamar to depend on. She goes to school, opens her own beauty shop, and is even thinking of starting her own clothing line. Everything is going good especially when she meets Messiah; he sweeps her off her feet and shows her what true love is. Tamar feels since he's gotten rid of all of his enemies he's ready to jump back in the game. With a new lady on his arm, things are looking up and of course the cash is flowing nicely. That is until Messiah comes home and looks to reclaim his spot as the King of Miami. Messiah is messing with Tamar's paper and his woman. With the two men fighting for the crown and the girl; things will get rather ugly. Who will Rozalyn choose in the end? The guy that she bared three kids with and has gone through hell and back with, or the guy that treats her better than royalty? A choice must be made, but will that choice be a deadly one? This is the end and endings aren't always happily ever after.

Entangled


K. Elliott - 2003
    Entangled is a love story between a major drug trafficker and a history teacher. The subplots include a black DEA agent with divided loyalty. He wants to do his job and rid the streets of drugs but on the other hand he knows that the system is corrupt and it targets minorities, this story has all the elements of a major motion picture.

The Office Girls


Sylvester Stephens - 2008
    When the newspaper runs an article he finds offensive to African American men, he writes a rebuttal, which offends so many women it gets him fired. Michael then sets out to write a book that proves corporate women are just as scandalous, competitive, and insensitive as their male counterparts. But when he manipulates events to get hired into an office that is staffed by all women, events quickly spiral out of control. As romances sprout like weeds and Michael finds himself fighting for the women he works alongside, rather than against them, the question is whether he will be able to focus on his work, keep his flings a secret, and achieve the success he has always dreamed of. In turns hilarious, sobering, and eye-opening, The Office Girls tells the story of every woman who works in the corporate world and the challenges they face on a daily basis. The misogyny, sexual harassment, and gender inequality faced by these characters will ring true for all women who have experienced corporate America.